Bonding rituals
by Rina Meunier
Summary: Rina is behaving very strangely. Can Data find out what is wrong and will he be able to help her? Rated M or maybe even MA for...unusual practices in later chapters.
1. Strange behavior

Data didn't have the slightest idea of what was wrong with Rina. She was avoiding him as good as she could.

She worked only when he was off duty and changed her schedule so that he was working when she wasn't.

If they were both in their shared quarters at night, she preferred to sleep in bat-mode, how she called it, on the ceiling instead of cuddling close and sleeping in his arms as she usually did.

Worst of all, she wouldn't even talk to him about what was bothering her. She shrugged him off when he touched her and didn't even look at him.

But what puzzled him the most was that she hadn't consulted Dr. Pulaski or Counselor Troi. The later grew more and more confused about the mixture and strength of Rina's emotions. Desire, love, shame, frustration, desperation and…fear.

Rina had become distracted and Dr. Pulaski had pronounced her unfit for duty. Melanie stayed temporally at Wesley's until the situation was solved.

Data entered the room and immediately heard the shower. He seated himself on the sofa and waited for her to come out of the bathroom.

He didn't have to wait for long. Rina stepped into the living area, dressed in her black bathrobe.

Their eyes only met briefly before she lowered her gaze and started hurrying towards the sleeping area when he quickly stood up and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Please wait. We need to talk."

She still didn't look at him. "I don't wanna talk." So she didn't deny that there was something wrong.

He cupped her chin and forced her to look into his eyes. "Rina, please tell me what is wrong. Did I do something to hurt you?"

She pulled back from him and lowered her lashes. "No. No you didn't hurt me," she replied quietly.

He gently brushed a strand of her still damp hair behind her right ear. He knew that she was extremely sensitive in this spot. Normally she found it nice and even stimulating to be touched there and it made her laugh and squirm in delight. But instead of enjoying the tickling sensation, she had said she felt at this kind of contact, she flinched away.

"Please don't touch me," she whispered, breathing more rapidly.

"Why? Please talk to me. I am concerned about you."

She blushed furiously. "I can't. It's too embarrassing." Her French accent was clearly audible.

"Rina. Rina, look at me." when she hesitantly complied, he continued. "You can talk to me about everything. No matter what it is, I will listen and try my best to help you."

Rina looked away. "That's just it. I don't want to harm you." If it hadn't been for his superior hearing, he wouldn't have heard her.

He looked puzzled. "Harm me? Why would you harm me?"

She shook her head. "I already said too much."

With that she fled into the bedroom.

If Data had been human, he would have sighed. He sat back onto the couch. He had to figure out what was going on.


	2. Fall

He spent this night alone in the bed, watching the small creature above him. Rina slept deeply, but his ears picked up the small whimpers. He stood up to take a closer look at her, just in time to catch the small bat.

He had read that bats kept hanging on the ceiling even if they were dead, but apparently this didn't apply to vampires.

Data carefully cradled the small animal form of his girlfriend in his palm. She hadn't woken up.

He carefully scratched between those, compared to the rest of her head, large ears, eliciting soft purrs from her.

This wasn't the first time she fell down. Data remembered clearly how embarrassed she had been about him seeing her like this. She had called it 'awkward'.

In her sleep Rina leaned into his gentle touch. He moved down her back, accidentally brushing her wing.

Black eyes snapped open. She lifted herself off his hand, circled the room and landed in a far corner.

Now that she was back in her humanoid form he could see how much she shook. She was crying.

He moved closer and gently touched her arm. "What is the matter, Rina?"

She shrugged him off. "I told you already: Don't touch me!"

He reached for her again, this time holding her as firmly as he could without hurting her. "Please tell me what is bothering you."

She sobbed. "I can't."

He maneuvered them to sit on the bed. She had stopped resisting. He noticed now how she shivered when he touched her. Goosebumps were rising on her skin and her breathing was shallow and rapid.

"Why?"

"I'm too ashamed," she whimpered quietly.

"Why are you ashamed?"

"Because of my current state. My feelings are wreaking havoc on my mind and I just can't act on my impulses because I could hurt you in the process."

"I do not understand."

He gently wiped her tears away. She swallowed hard. "I've always been ashamed of myself, of my body. After everything my foster dad did to me, I couldn't think of sex as something natural, beautiful and normal. And now my hormones are driving me completely crazy."

That explained the desire and the shame.

"If you require intimacy then why did you not say so?"

"Because it's different this time. It's a vampire-thing. I hoped that being born half-human would prevent this, but I was mistaken. The _charkanuc_."

"What is the_ charkanuc_?"

"Female vampires are already very passionate and emotional creatures. When we find somebody to love, we develop very strong feelings for this someone, in my case: You. During this relationship a mental link is formed. That's why we could communicate telepathically. The _charkanuc _is the time to create a real bond."

"And how is that accomplished?"

She took a deep breath. "Sex. But in a different way than that what we did. And I won't be able to restrain myself or my powers. I'm afraid of frying your circuitry with my magical energy."

He smiled at her gently. "Why did you not tell me?"

"Because my…needs are quite…unusual."

"What is it I need to do?"

"Are you sure you want this? I warn you: This is the equivalent of a wedding, but you can't solve it with a simple divorce. You'll be trapped with me. Forever."

He stroked her cheek. She flinched again, but only blushed and smiled sheepishly. "The word 'trapped' would imply that I do not wish to be with you, which is not the case. Quite the contrary, I wish very much to spend my life with you."

Rina stood up and went to the closet. She took out a book and handed it to him. "My friend Saskia gave it to me. In it you'll find everything you need to know. It's too embarrassing for me to tell you."

He nodded. "I believe I have an idea about your powers. That band around your wrist keeps your powers in check, does it not?"

She blinked. "Yes. In Perlagan this material is used to restrain prisoners because it absorbs magical energy…but my bracelet won't be enough."

"May I borrow it? I am certain that I can figure out what gives it its ability and create something to restrain you."

She gave him a mischievous glance. "Wouldn't be the first time, hm? Alright." She handed him the band.

He took it with a nod and stood, but was held back by her hand on his. "Wait! I…thank you. For being so understanding. And I'm deeply sorry for my behavior towards you."

"It is alright. Follow the doctor's orders and rest. I will work as fast as I can. I will not let you fall."

She smiled and kissed him softly on the lips before crawling under the blanket and falling asleep quickly.

He left for the lab to find a solution.

* * *

Hi, I hope you liked this chapter. I'll try to update soon. Please review.


	3. Plans

He had successfully replicated enough of the material to restrain Rina's powers. Data took the book and read it in a matter of seconds.

The foremost thing he needed to do was to arouse her beyond anything he'd ever done before. He had to drive her wild with his touches; doing things to her she would consider torture under normal circumstances.

He sat at his console and thought about their previous encounters.

_Flashback:_

_Three weeks into their relationship they returned to her room after an away mission. They were covered from head to toe with dirt._

_"I believe we both need a shower," Rina said with a grin._

_"Agreed. Would you be willing to try something new?"_

_"What did you have in mind, hon?"_

_"We could shower together," he suggested._

_Rina froze then swallowed and said with an embarrassed smile: "Yeah, why not."_

_"Is something wrong?"_

_She sighed. "No. It's just that I'm …afraid of what you'll think of my body."_

_He frowned. "Why? We have had more than one sexual encounter."_

_"Yeah, but it was always dark. You've never seen me clearly."_

_"That is true, but I did touch you and collected enough information by touch to have a more or less accurate picture of your anatomy. For example there are a lot of raised lines, or should I rather say scars, on your back. I do not think you have to be ashamed of your body."_

_Rina blushed and nodded. "Alright." She started undressing and he did the same._

_Once naked he helped her into the tub, stepped in behind her and closed the curtain. He turned on the water and set the temperature to 95 °F. "Is that warm enough for you?"_

_She smiled and nodded. She took the shower head and started to wash him. She gently massaged shampoo into his hair and rinsed it out before lathering his body. _

_When he was clean, he returned the favor. She leaned back against him, purring softly. _

_She sat down on the edge and tried to brush some dirt from her soles. He watched intrigued the expressions which crossed her face._

_"Is something wrong?"_

_"No. I just have terribly sensitive feet and cleaning them like this is not the most pleasant sensation." _

_She sighed and handed him the brush she had used. "Would you help me, please? I will only stop all the time so this is going to take ages. No matter how much I squirm and flinch, just continue until it's done."_

_He nodded, took her ankle and started to brush the sole of her right foot then the left one. She twisted and Data could hear her trying to muffle her laughter behind her hand. _

_He put the brush away and let her go. But before he could leave the tub, she had pinned him against the wall, kissing him passionately. _

_"What are you doing, Rina?" he asked her baffled._

_"Your touches on my bare skin, the tickling, you know fully well what that does to me, my love. Now you have to deal with the consequences."_

_He just raised his eyebrows and complied. He nipped her ear and her neck, making her moan and giggle. He supported her weight as she wrapped her legs around his waist and he gently slipped into her._

_After drying off they left for her bedroom where he took some oil and massaged her back. _

_She sighed with contentment. "That feels nice and relaxing."_

_"I am pleased to hear that."_

_"I'm sorry for jumping on you like that. I lost control. I'll try to do better next time."_

_"You do not have to be sorry. It was an interesting experience. Does that mean we can take a shower together more often?"_

_She turned and chuckled at his hopeful look. "Why not?"_

_End of flashback_

He stood and made his way to the bedroom. He now knew what to do to her.

* * *

**Any opinions?**


	4. The ritual

As Data stepped into the bedroom, he saw Rina tangled in the bed sheets, her eyes moving rapidly underneath her closed eyelids.

He sat down on the bed next to her and put a hand on her cheek. He could feel that she was warmer than usual as he gently wiped some sweat away from her forehead.

Rina inhaled sharply and opened her eyes. She smiled weakly at him. "Hey," she said, her voice hoarse and barely audible.

"Hey," he mimicked her tone. "How do you feel?"

She hesitantly sat up. She was shivering and tried to breathe slowly and regularly. "Weak and wound up. But she'll live."

He stroked her soaked hair away from her face, causing her to flinch. "I have prepared the bathroom for the cleaning ritual. I will prepare everything in here."

She nodded and left to take a bath with special salts and oils he had found among her things, along with the _thackar_, a transparent white nightgown.

He changed the sheets, dimmed the lights and took out the 'items' he planned to use on her, including the band that should absorb her magical energy.

Rina entered the room, looking down at the floor in embarrassment. The gown showed off her physical attributes nicely. He pulled her closer to him and ordered the computer to lock the door.

Data put one hand below Rina's shoulder blades and the other on the back of her neck. "_Cha ni tsi co, Cinjica?_ **(Do you really wish this, Cinjica [_Chinjika_])**?" He asked, calling her by her Puvlagonian name.

"_Tarr_ **(Yes)**", she responded, undressed him (a sign of agreement) and leaned her right cheek against his, giving him easy access to her right ear and the right side of her neck (meaning: I trust you and will you 'marry' me?).

He gripped the collar of her gown, ripped it clean open and pushed it down and off her body, another prove that vampires were very passionate and emotional creatures.

"May I?" he asked, cupping her chin. She nodded her approval and they kissed. Now he could do everything he wanted. There were no exact guidelines for the act itself.

He picked her up and laid her carefully on the bed. He took the band and tied it around her wrist, bound it to the bed frame and then around the other wrist. He tenderly caressed her face. "Are you really ready for this?"

She nodded. "Yes, but what about you? Are you aware of the consequences? This bond is as good as unbreakable."

"I do not wish to break it. I would like to have you as my mate."

She took a deep breath. "Let's do this thing."

Data didn't reply. Instead he lightly trailed his hands over her body, followed by a quiet gasp.

He started arousing her by kissing his way up her jaw to her right ear. She shrieked as he licked along its rim down to her earlobe on which he nibbled briefly before sucking and gently biting her neck. His fingers moved from her elbows down her upper arms, making her shudder.

He looked at her face. Her eyes were shut tightly as were her lips. Her cheeks were colored a deep scarlet.

He slid down to her feet. He took a bottle of baby oil and began massaging it into her skin. Rina relaxed slightly, but only until he took her ankles under his arm and treated her soles with a brush. She cried out, kicking her legs, but then her throat started emitting something between a growl, a purr and a chuckle. He stopped after a while to let her catch her breath.

When she had calmed down a bit, he gave her ribcage a soft nip.

She let out a surprised yelp as he continued by nipping and gently biting her ribs, the bottoms of her breasts, her neck, her shoulders, her sides and her thighs. He had her whimpering at the time he stopped. "Please open your eyes," he whispered.

She looked at him. The white and black had disappeared, leaving her eyes entirely ice-blue.

"Are you alright?" She managed a small nod. He took a feather. "Turn your head to the left."

She swallowed, knowing fully well what he was planning to do, but did as she was told.

Data traced the contours of her ear, teasing its opening. Her breath hitched in her throat and she let out a high-pitched giggle. He moved it down her neck to her breasts. He stroked it over her nipples, getting no reaction from her.

Following an idea, he went lower to her navel and lower still. She whimpered and flinched as the tool touched her most sensitive parts.

He kissed her collar bone and followed the feather's path with his mouth.

He spread her legs and buried his head between them, paying most attention to her clitoris, followed by a loud wailing sound. She had held remarkably still during his earlier ministrations, but now she writhing underneath him. No real words came over her lips, only animal sounds.

Data stopped torturing his girlfriend. It was time to give her release.

He positioned himself and penetrated her. He rocked his hips against hers, teasing the nub of flesh again.

Her heart rate increased and her muscles clenched around him before relaxing as the waves of her climax passed. The band around her wrists sparked teal and then became dark again.

He listened to her breathing. As it was back to normal, he released her. Rina immediately turned and wrapped her arms tightly around him, putting her head on his chest.

She was shaking, so he pulled her closer and stroked her hair. As he felt hot tears on his skin, he pulled away to look at her face. Her eyes were back to normal now, but she was crying. "Is something wrong? Are you alright?"

She sniffed and swallowed. "Everything's fine. Don't worry."

"Then why are you crying?"

"Relieve. Incredible relieve. I can feel you now. More than ever."

He processed the events. He could make out something new within his neural net. Almost like a presence. Was it Rina?

He looked down at her with wonder. "Marvelous."

She smiled gently and kissed him. "Thank you so much for this."

He tucked a strand of hair behind her right ear, causing her to giggle in delight. He kissed the top of her head. "You are very welcome."


	5. Aftermath

Rina sat up and stretched. They had talked a bit before she finally had fallen into a deep and peaceful sleep.

She smiled at him. She was back to normal. "Good morning, hon."

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Better than ever. Would you like to take a shower with me?"

He stood and followed her into the bathroom. She was washing his hair when he gripped her hands.

Her wrists were burned, red marks showing where the restrains had been. Burns were something even a vampire immune system couldn't fix. "I did not intend to injure you."

She smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. The absorbed energy caused the band to heat up. It's nothing our good doctor couldn't fix." And with that she continued washing him.

* * *

Dr. Pulaski was surprised about Rina's injuries, but didn't ask about how she had obtained them. She also pronounced the hormonal imbalance gone and Rina fit for duty.

Last night had been an old ritual which required deep feelings. It wasn't practiced anymore because most men just took a woman and made her a mindless slave.

Data didn't mind that they officially were still boyfriend and girlfriend. He didn't mind that Rina still wanted to wait with a federation-law marriage.

She was his girlfriend, his bond mate. That was all that mattered.

_El fin_


End file.
